Controller for ejected bobbins for weft replenishing looms



Nov. 17, 1931. A. A. GORDON 1,832,544

CONTROLLER FOR EJEGTED BOBBINS FOR WEFT REPLENISHING LOOMS Filed Jan; 23; 1931 1 jivl/f/vrafi? ALBER TA-GUHUU/v Patented Nov. 17, 1931 UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE ALBERT A. GORDON, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO CROMPT'ON' &

KNOWLES LOOM. WORKS, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS CONTROILER FOR EJ'ECTED LBOBBINS FOR WEFT REPLENISHING LOOMS Application filerl January 23, 1931.

This invention relates to improvements in means to assist in extracting the weft end extending from the selvage to the spent bobbin at the time of transfer in a bobbin chang ing loom and to the general object of the invention to accomplish this result by devices acting to prevent rotation of the bobbin about its own axis.

In bobbin changing looms the transferrer expels the exhausted bobbin usually in a downward direction and in order to prevent imperfections in the cloth the transfer is called for while there still remains on the bobbin a small bunch of weft. There is therefore a trailing end which extends from the selvage to the outgoing bobbin which should be withdrawn to prevent subsequent whipping cf the same into the shed. If the bobbin rotates in a direction to unwind the weft it is difficult to extract the trailing end. It is an important object of my present invention to provide means which will act on the bobbin as soon as the latter has left the shuttle to arrest rotation thereof and thus insure more certainty into the withdrawal of the trailing end by the bobbin itself.

At the time of transfer the bobbin butt receives the thrust of the transferrer arm and tends to move downwardly in advance of the bobbin tip. It is a further object of my invention to provide a yielding plate or the like to engage the bobbin butt and retard movement of the same so that the tip will continue its downward path more rapidly than the butt. This results in keeping the trailing weft from drawing OK the end of the bobbin, and this, coupled with the fact that the bobbin does not rotate on its axis, greatly facilitates withdrawing of the thread by the bobbin without the use of trailing end engaging devices.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a resilient plate such as a thin strip of sheet metal which shall be so disposed with respect to the ordinary bobbin chute as to define an angle therewith into which the expelled bobbin is projected, the aperture between the plate and the chute being adjustable for different size of bobbins and the plate acting to press the bobbin butt against the Serial No. 510,742.

With these and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, my invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and set forth in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein a convenient embodiment of my invention is set forth,

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a portion of a loom having my invention applied thereto,

Fig. 2 is a vertical section on line 2+2 of i Fig. 1 showing the flexible plate in its normal position, and

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, but with the plate deformed and in the act of restraining rotation of the bobbin about its axis.

Referring to Fig.1, the lay 10 supports a shuttle S on the upper side thereof and is provided on the under surface with a. bobbin chute'll having a downwardly and forwardly inclined bobbin engagi Surface 12' The lay has the usual bobbin receiving slot 13 and there may be provided a transferrer arm 14 controlled by detector mechanisms so as to insert a fresh bobbin into the shuttle when necessary. At the time of transfer an expelled bobbin will be discharged downwardly through the shuttle through the slot 13 and over the inclined surface 12, moving forwardly from the latter to enter a bobbin 1 can not shown.

In carrying my invention into effect I provide the lay with a pairof inner and outer bearings 20 and 21, respectively, secured to the lay and having hubs 22 which receive a rod 23. thereto a resilient thin sheet metal plate 24 the front inner edge of which normally engages a stop screw 25 carried by an arm 26 The latter has secured preferably supported by the inner bearing 20. A second step screw 27 is carried by the lay and engages the inner surface of the plate 24, or that part facing the slot 13. The chute 11 has a cam face 28 which extends downwardly and outwardly from the loomside. The face 28 acts to retard the butt of the bobbin, and will prevent the tip of the bobbin swinging around with the butt as a pivot, snapping it away from its proper relation with the bobbin cam and possibly snapping it up into contact with the feeler.

The lower edge 29 of the plate 24 is ordinarily spaced from the inclined surface 12 of the chute a distance which is less than the diameter of the bobbin butt but greater than the bobbin barrel or tip. During the act of transfer, a depleted bobbin will move downwardly with the buttadvancing as indicated in dot and dash lines in Fig. 1. The butt will strike the cam face 28 and will also engage the flexible plate 24. The effectof this action is to retard downward movement of the bobbin butt and permituninterrupted movement of the bobbin tip. During its downward movement the empty bobbin will assume some such a position as that indicated in dotted lines in F 1, the tendency of the butt to move in advance of the tip having been checked. As the butt continues its downward movement it reflects the plate 24: from the position shown in Fig. 2 to that shown in Fig.

When in the position shown in Fig. 3 the plate will force the bobbin butt against the chute, the eii'ect of this action being to resistany tendency on the part of the bobbin to rotate about its own axis because pressure is being exerted on the bobbin butt on opposite sides thereof by surfaces which are stationary with respect to the bobbin. 11s a result of the action of the plate 24 the bobbin will be held against appreciable rotation around its own axis and will advance toward the bobbin can. not shown, with the major component of its axis horizontal or in a direction transverse of the trailing end IV which extends from the bobbin butt back to the selvagc.

By means of screws and 2'? the distance between the lower edge 29 of the plate and the inclined surface 12 may be varied as called for by different conditions.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided a simple resilient device mounted on the usual lay and in connection with the ordinary bobbin chute and coacting with the latter to arrest rotation of the expelled bobbin as the same travels toward the bobbin can, the effect of which is to prevent the bobbin from increasing the length of the trailing end by its own unwinding. It will also be seen that the movement of the bobbin is retarded so that the same moves downwardly with its axis transverse of the weft end which is being withdrawn from the shuttle box.

Having thus described my invention it will be seen that changes and modifications may be made therein by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, but what I claim is:

1. In a weft replenishing loom having means to expel a depleted bobbin, a bobbin chute extending in the path of an expelled bobbin, and a resilient plate disposed at an angle to the chute and forcing the expelled bobbin against the chute.

2. In a weft replenishing loom having means to expel a depleted bobbin, means defining a yieldable opening through which the expelled bobbin passes, the opening normally being less than the maximum diameter of the bobbin, and said means being separated by the bobbin and engaging opposite sides of the latter to arrest rotation thereof.

3. In weft replenishing loom having means to expel a depleted bobbin, a pair of bobbin engaging elements located in the path of movement of the expelled bobbin, one of said elements capable of yielding relatively to and away from the other element, the space between the elements normally being less than the maximum diameter of the bobbin, and the latter engaging the yieldable element and passing between and in contact with the elements.

i. In a weft replenishing loom having means to expel a depleted bobbin, means defining a restricted passage through whichthe bobbin passes, said means including two elements one of which yields relatively to the other and presses the bobbin against said other to arrest rotation of the bobbin.

5. In a weft replenishing loom having means to expel a depleted bobbin, two spaced elements defining a passage smaller than the maximum diameter of the bobbin, said elements separating relatively to each other as the bobbin passes between and in engagement with them, the elements thereby resisting rotary movement of the bobbin about the axis thereof.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature.

ALBERT A. GORDON. 

